The Daughters of Time
by porkiswayne
Summary: Princess Hotaru of Saturn is appointed the Guardian of her planet and its moons after her mother, the Queen of Saturn, dies. Her training tour throughout the solar system introduces her to new allies and new experiences as she learns what it means to be a Guardian. Is there such a thing as predestination?
1. 1: Where My Life Begins and Ends

My name is Hotaru, Royal Lady of Titan, daughter of Queen Cassine and King Christiaan of my home planet, Saturn. My mother is a beautiful, patient woman and a generous leader to her subjects. Wait, no. She was a leader. It's going to take me a while to get used to talking about her in the past. My mother, the queen, is dead. Buckets of flowers and gemstones arrive daily with messages of condolences and thoughtful words of encouragement for my father, Saturn's new ruler. I've only recently turned 15 Chronos years, informally referred to as aions, and reached my One Half Ceremony (a joke on its own, as all the Solar planets go by Chronos time in order to stave off interplanetary confusion) and yet I can feel the respect in their words. I sometimes feel much older than I am. I've heard the legends about reincarnation and I wholeheartedly believe in them. The idea of rebirth is a very comforting one and brings me solace when I think about each quickly passing night and day. I think I remember a time before I presided over Titan. I think I remember a time after as well, although every time I tried to talk to my mother about the idea of different times threads, she silenced me.

Silence. Solitude. Space. Since my mother's death, there's been nothing but even more silence, even more solitude, and even more space. It's often stifling yet I wear it like a heavy blanket. My father is a strong man and I can see him trying to pull through for my younger sister, his planet, and me but his grief is palpable. Sometimes I take my sister, Capricia, to get candies and sometimes we go to some of the other moons and look for unusual rocks. Her favorite is Enceladus and it has become a home away from home for us both. Wait, that's not right either. Titan is my home now. My mother declared me the Royal Lady of Titan at my Ceremony, becoming the first Guardian of Saturn in recent history as decades of peace had not necessitated one. Between the murmurs and the newspapers, it wasn't a surprise for anyone. I've been welcomed with open arms onto my new home and am already learning of my duties as Saturn's Guardian. Truth be told, I had never planned on coming into this duty. I always believed that being born into Saturn's royal bloodline meant that I would one day become the Queen, but I never knew that my mother had different plans for me. But now that she is gone and the stillness of our palace surrounds us, I accept my new life and new responsibilities on Titan readily. I don't question her judgment and I especially don't think to turn my back on my new obligations.

My sister is 8 aions and likes to play on the frozen seas with her natural grace and ease. I'm not sure if she knows what my training entails or what her future holds, but I don't want to break it to her yet, if I even have to be the one to do it. I sit on the icy ground watching her huddle and carefully construct some sort of rock castle.

"Rici," I call, "I'm leaving soon."

Capricia looks up from where she's hunched over with the small pile of stones in front of her. "Can't we stay longer? I still need to finish my collection."

"No, I mean I'm leaving Saturn soon." I pick at my dark skirt.

"No you're not." She pauses and her eyebrows scrunch together. "Really? When?"

"Soon. I have to start my training. I'm going to Jupiter."

"Are you going to see Lady Galilea?" She grins.

I can't help but grin back. I have always gotten along well with her and am glad to be starting out my training on a good note. "Of course. She's Jupiter's Guardian." I beckon her over and she comes willingly, for once. I pat the ground so she sits next to me and she gazes at her rock pile. "I'm actually hoping she'll teach me how to become as tall and strong as she is," I mock-whisper conspiratorially.

Capricia giggles. "You? Tall and strong? I once saw you cry when you accidentally sat on your gemstone."

"That's not the same at all and that was an awfully unkind thing to say, Princess," I glare. She has the good nature to look contrite, at least. I smile back at her and nudge her with my shoulder. "I'm kidding, you know. I'm proud of you and I'm going to miss you when I'm gone."

Rici picks up a stone next to her and fidgets with it, turning it around in her hands. "I wish you weren't going but I know you have to. Mama always told me that the Guardian was the strongest and one of the most important people to the planet." She looks up to me with a big, fat tear rolling down her cheek and for a second I think she's crying about me.

"Mama was very wise. Papa is a smart man too and I know you're going to be so good at taking care of him and our kingdom, right?" I wipe the tear off her cheek and pull her in for a hug. I don't know how long it is before I let go.


	2. 2: Lady Galilea, Guardian of Jupiter

I stir as my ship places me into the receiving dock on Jupiter. My pitiful two cases and one satchel are being hoisted inside as the palace guards respectfully bow to me. I remember feeling uncomfortable about this when I was very small but I've grown to accept it. The Guardians get a different greeting but I assume that I'll still be treated as a Princess until my training is complete. For now, I'm still just a member of the Saturn royal family, sans one very important mother. I square my shoulders and follow the main palace servant to the entrance and walk right into Lady Galilea's open arms for a hug. She squeezes me hard and murmurs condolences into my hair, leaning over a few inches to meet me. She's older than me by about 4 aions and feels like the older sister I idly wished of. She holds me at arm's length and plants a loud kiss on my forehead. "Makoto!" I yelp, amused and only a tiny bit embarrassed.

"Sorry, Princess! I missed you and I made you your favorite candies and I hope you're hungry and did I mention how happy I am that you are joining me as a Planet Guardian?"

I roll my eyes towards the stars but I can't help but hide my smile. I feel hopeful for the first time since my mother died. "Princess, am I? Well if that's the case then, Your Guardian," I say with a flourish before placing my right fist against my heart and nodding once quickly, as is the standard greeting.

She barks out a laugh and throws her arm around my shoulder, leading me through the entryway of the largest, most decadent palace in the Solar System. "You're right, Hotaru. That's too formal for both of us. I really do hope you've arrived hungry; I planned a lunch for us and King Jovio. I'll leave you to it if you want to unpack your things first. You remember where your room is, right? I swear, I haven't touched a thing!"

Every time I've come to stay on Jupiter, I've stayed in the same room. I've been here a couple of times before for aionnual conventions with dignitaries from other planets, but I've visited more often than that just for the pleasure of Makoto's company. My room is comfortable, familiar, and frothy, for lack of a better word. The large canopy bed sits right in the middle of the room and has beautiful lavender netting draped around the white bed posts. My favorite part of the room is the floor to ceiling doors that lead onto my own, private balcony overlooking the inner courtyard of the palace. Makoto loves to garden and proudly showcases the flora of various planets in the middle of the spacious courtyard. There is always something new planted each time I visit and I like to try to guess where they're from. The curtains for the window are the same shade of purple and they remind me of my room in the palace at home. The room itself is otherwise very simple. I put my clothes into the drawers and lay out the few sentimental items I've brought with me during my training tour. I take my gemstone from my satchel and place it inside the necklace I keep tucked into my blouse. Wrapped carefully in my favorite scarf is my small picture of my family which I place on my bedside table. I walk over to my vanity and brush through my hair before navigating to the main dining area.

"Princess Hotaru! Welcome!" I hear King Jovio calling as he stands from his ornate seat at the head of the dining table. I barely have enough time to bow to him before he scoops me up in a hug that's as warm as Makoto's. I smile to myself at his use of my title in conjunction with the familiar hug.

"Please, just call me Hotaru, King."

"I will call you Hotaru on the condition that you do not call me 'King'!" He laughs. I watch as Makoto stifles a smile behind her hand, eyes alight.

"What do you wish I call you?" I ask, enjoying our routine.

"As always, my lady, please call me Nephrite, or Neph, or even Jovio. I don't mind any of them as long as it's not 'King'!"

"Well then, Nephrite or Neph or even Jovio, please call me Hotaru." I give him my most innocent smile and turn to take my seat for lunch. We're joined by several of Nephrite's staff and Makoto, as usual, has coordinated (and probably helped to prepare) a delicious and plentiful lunch. I head back to my room afterward to relax after my trip and smile when I find the delicate pink satchel of promised candies sitting on the bedside table next to my picture frame.

After settling in for a couple of days, Makoto finally takes me to her home moon of Ganymede. It's huge and reminds me of Titan, even though both pale in comparison to Jupiter's massive size. I've been here a few times before, mostly when Makoto wanted to show it off for us. Unlike me, she was voted into her duty as Jupiter's Guardian when she was 16 aions, making her the youngest Guardian ever elected to Jupiter. I remember when my Mama told me the news about the new Lady Galilea. I had already known her for a while and knew her to be fierce and loyal and strong. She was going to be perfect. She had been voted into her duty only a couple of aions after the former King of Jupiter had died, leaving his throne to his sole heir, Prince Nephrite. The Prince left his post as one of the Earth prince's Generals to fulfill the needs of his home planet and serve as King Jovio. Every now and then, I see him brush back Makoto's hair and tuck it behind her ear, lingering on her rose earrings. They usually give each other shy smiles and it feels so intimate that I have to look away.

I spend my days training with Makoto on either Ganymede or Jupiter and learning the ins and outs of protecting such a large planet. It's daunting but I know I can handle it. When we're not spending time catching up and traveling the world, she is teaching me the basics of hand to hand combat. Makoto is patient and strong and knows how to use her height to her advantage. She teaches me the fundamentals of several different martial arts and fighting styles. I've tucked and rolled so many times that I think my neck is starting to hurt. After each full day of training, like clockwork, I sit down with Makoto and Nephrite for dinner in the palace on Jupiter and we discuss new techniques learned and what I think of them. And each dinner, Makoto involves herself in the planning and preparation of the food. I once brought it up to Nephrite and he gave me a very proud smile when he explained that she loved cooking so much that she just couldn't stay away from the kitchen. To top it off, every night before I go to bed, I find that same satchel filled with new, fresh candies sitting on my bedside table.

During my resting periods, when I'm alone under the purple netting of my bed's canopy, I sit and eat my candies and reflect on my training. I try not to think of my family because I already feel adrift from Rici and Papa but the loneliness creeps in. I especially try not to think of Mama. I pull my necklace out from underneath my shirt and open up the delicate locket to remove my gemstone. One side of it is flat and I rest it on my palm, staring down at it. I brush my thumb along the ridges of the other side, lightly tapping against the spikier of the ridges. I press down on the sharpest spike until it pierces the skin and I watch a bead of blood bubble up for a fraction of a second before my skin patches it back up seamlessly. It's funny how some things work.

The next morning, I wake up and head to the large kitchen to grab something to eat and run into King Jovio. "Good morning," I bow, not really meeting his eyes. There are some mornings where my restless nights catch up to me and I look in the mirror and gingerly touch the bags under my eyes. I think I'm probably too young to have them. Maybe I'm imagining them.

"And to you, Princess." He pauses, waiting for my reaction with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Nothing?! Hotaru, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but you sort of look like hell." He puts his hands on my shoulders and holds me at arm's length, examining my face. I guess I'm not imagining the bags under my eyes. He looks at me for several seconds, eyebrows knitted together, and I'm not sure what he finds but he pulls me into a hug and I slump into it. "If you ever need anything, you tell me, okay?" I nod into his shoulder after a few seconds. After he lets me go, he looks at me again and smiles softly before looking over my shoulder towards the entrance of the room. "You go easy on her today, all right?" He says the person behind me who must be Makoto. "King's orders," he winks. He heads toward her and kisses her on the cheek once and mumbles something before leaving the room.

Taking a deep breath, Makoto turns to me and I watch her eyes soften. "Are you all right? I was thinking we could hang out on Ganymede today and practice the most important part of the new role: getting to know your subjects. Are you up for it?" She playfully nudges against me and I can't help but answer with a smile.

We spend the day traveling through the various towns on Ganymede and I meet most of her general officers as well as many of the store owners of the places Makoto frequents. They all seem to have a good rapport with her and, as the day goes on, I become uplifted by the hope and faith the citizens place in their Guardian. I hope that I can earn this level of trust from the people of Titan as well.

After a long while, I feel like I've met so many people that my head is going to explode, but Makoto has successfully taken my mind off of my sadness. We go back to the palace on Jupiter and spar for a while. I am finally managing to get some hits in and she compliments my form, adjusting me every now and then. At dinner, I watch Makoto flirt with Nephrite and try to hide my smiles behind my hand. It's difficult but I enjoy seeing them so happy together. I have seconds and try not to think about having to leave Jupiter soon, even though it's already been nearly a quarter aion. That night I sleep better than I have in a while.

On the day that I am set to leave for Mercury, I accidentally oversleep. I wake up and quickly fold my clothes back into my cases and carefully tuck my picture frame into my red scarf and place it in my satchel. I take a look around the room and step out onto my balcony for a bit, breathing in the smell of the courtyard garden and looking at my new favorite plant, the Blechnum gibbum, a tree fern from Earth. I head to the dining area and find that Makoto has laid out a huge meal for all of us. I know for a fact this will make me even sleepier for my trip. I laugh at the audacity that one woman could help make so much food for so few people. At least I know it'll be eaten by the palace guards and staff because no one can turn down any of Makoto's cooking. As usual, everything is as delicious as it looks. I spend most of the day chatting with Nephrite and Makoto while idly snacking. I stand up to leave and Nephrite comes over and gives me a big bear hug. His long hair is tied back but some of it still tickles my face. I grin and he squeezes me one last time and releases me. "It was really good to see you again, Hotaru. Don't be a stranger, okay? You know how to reach us if you need us."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Neph. Take care of Mako. It's a tough task but I think you can handle it." I giggle.

"I intend to. Oh, by the way. I wrote a couple of letters for the other generals; would you mind passing them along when you see them?" He pulls out a few letters, each addressed to his friends from Earth. It's really the least I can do and I place them in my satchel.

Makoto comes over to me and I hold my hand out for her. She grabs it with both hands and places it over her heart and I can faintly feel it thumping away. She looks like she's about to cry and I have to look away. "I'll miss you, Hotaru," she squeaks. I look back at her quickly and throw my arms around her waist. She pets my hair and I feel safe, like a child. "Say hello to the other Guardians for me, will you?"

"I will," I nod.

"Good. And if any of them give you any trouble, especially Lady Phobos, you can show them your new kung fu skills!" She laughs with a sniffle. I pull away from her and we stare at each other with goofy, teary grins. As I am walking toward the main palace doors, I look back and see King Jovio with his arms wrapped around Makoto, kissing the top of her head.


	3. 3: Lady Hermes, Guardian of Mercury

Sure enough, the large meal on Jupiter helps to knock me out for most of the journey to Mercury. It's pretty quick but I still manage kipping out before reaching the planet. Unlike Jupiter, I've never been to Mercury. It's so small that most delegations usually take place elsewhere. It's ruled by Queen Nabu who seems to be a strict enforcer. I think of my mother who flourished with the love of her sometimes boisterous kingdom and reveled in the silence of the night time. I don't think anyone would've called her strict. I step off my ship as it places me on Mercury and quickly feel the oppressive heat and humidity. The planet is small, even smaller than Titan, and the entire front of the palace seems to be lined with fountain after fountain. It's hot and I surreptitiously glance into one of the fountains as I pass it to see if it might be deep enough for me to jump into.

I recognize Lady Hermes as she stands near the entrance with her hands clasped behind her back. I give her the Guardian Salute and she bows to me in return.

"Lady Hermes, it's a pleasure to meet you." I say, trying not to fidget with the ruffles in my skirt.

"Princess Hotaru, likewise." She gives me a small smile and, although her eyes seem sad, I can feel their warmth. Her hair is short and the color reminds me of the serene seas on Enceladus. She leads me into the modest palace and asks me about my trip while a member of the guard carries my things. The palace itself is quiet, the walls lined with pale birch wood with flooring to match. The main room is a wall made up entirely out of windows and it looks out into the back of the palace. Much like the front, it's filled with fountains and water features but these all seem to surround a massive pool. I wonder if the water is cool enough to quell the sweat beading up on the back of my neck.

"I know the heat is awful but you get used to it. Oh, just make sure to drink plenty of water. You'll be so thirsty that you won't need the reminder anyway." Lady Hermes walks beside me as she leads me through a long stretch of hallway to what I guess is the bedroom I'll be staying in.

"Do you use that pool?" I ask hopefully.

She turns her head and smiles at me, eyes crinkling. "Oh yes, all the time! Do you know how to swim?"

"Yes, my father used to take my sister and me swimming all the time!" I can't hide the excitement in my voice.

"If you'd like, we could go swim after you've gotten settled in. Do you have swim clothes?" Lady Hermes methodically tucks her hair behind one ear repeatedly as she talks. I watch her, entranced.

"Yes, and that would be wonderful."

She leaves me to unpack and I take stock of my room here. A bed fit for one with a night stand, a small closet, and a large desk with small lamps and bookshelves on either side, filled with books. The room is designed with the same pale wood and I wonder if the rest of the palace is the same. I take out my picture frame and put it next to the bed again and hope that it brings me comfort in this unfamiliar place. I pull my necklace out from under my shirt and place it under my pillow and change into my swim clothes and head out to the pool.

I step outside and immediately feel the humidity bearing down on me again and I think, for a second, that I am not fit to handle it. I sit down on the edge and dip my toes into the water and find that it is blissfully cool.

"Just right, isn't it, Princess Hotaru?" Lady Hermes calls out as she walks up to the pool behind me. I turn around and squint up at her and see she's got a cap over her head to keep her hair dry. I don't mind my hair getting wet because it just means I'll get to spend a few more minutes of relief under the cool water of a shower.

"Please, Lady Hermes, call me Hotaru," I smile.

"Thank you, Hotaru. You may call me Ami," she says as she walks onto the diving board for the pool and gracefully dives in.

Swimming seems to be the perfect relief to the heat and I find myself already warming up to Ami. At dinner, we sit with the few guards that are stationed on Mercury and eat, drifting in and out of conversation. I already miss Makoto and Nephrite and their loud banter. Queen Nabu isn't present but Ami tells me that she's traveling on business and gives her apologies for not being able to welcome me personally to Mercury.

I head back to my room, suddenly feeling the weight of the day, and fall into bed.

Ami's task for my training is to learn the technical side of things. She will teach me the histories of the planets and the past Guardians, the cultures of different parts of the worlds, and different traditions. I know part of the role of being a planet Guardian is to act as a dignitary for your moon and sometimes as the face of your home planet as well. Sometimes the planet royalty and the Guardian attend events together, but that is more rare. Ami puts together a schedule for what and when she is going to cover and I see that she has us studying for several hours a day with time set aside to study independently at night.

True to her word, she has us on a schedule for eating after we wake up, teaching, quizzing, eating again, and then me studying at the desk in my room until I go to sleep. Some days we go for a swim before dinner and some days she agrees to spar with me to keep my new fighting techniques fresh in my mind. She's elusive and I enjoy it almost as much as when I'd practice with Makoto. When Ami isn't busy teaching, I take little opportunities to ask her questions about herself. Each time I become more and more interested. I ask her a question and she usually answers with a small blush rising to her cheeks. I try not to pry too much but she becomes more warm and lively with each question so I can't find it in myself to stop asking.

On a day where I'm learning basic phrases of the various planets' native languages, I ask her how she came into her role as Mercury's Guardian. She pushes her hair behind one ear and casts her eyes down.

"My mother always told me that I would one day become the guardian," she says simply. "She would push me to learn all the things that I'm teaching you now and tell me that it'd be important. My father would have been the King but he left and my mother took on the role as the Queen. Even though she was busy ruling Mercury, she always took time to teach me more about the role she claimed I was destined to take."

"Did you want to become the Guardian?" I ask without thinking. "I'm sorry, I should not pry."

Ami tips her head up and meets my eyes quickly before looking out of the back wall of windows. "It's an honor to be my planet's Guardian."

"I'm sorry about your father," I say quietly, joining her to look out the windows towards the pool.

I see her sad smile out of the corner of my eye and she reaches down and pulls out a small item and places it on the table. "He gave me this before he left." On the table is a mostly flat, round piece of glass with a few air bubbles in it. It seems simple but she looks at it with reverence and I can tell she is probably thinking of her father. "He said it was meant to belong to me. To Mercury's Guardian."

It's one day that we're studying that Ami, with a small bounce in her seat and a smile on her lips, announces that she's having a couple of friends over the next day. She invites me over to stay the night at the house that she lives in when she's not at the palace and I feel her giddiness creep over to me during our lesson. I smile to myself, happy to be friends with Ami. After a swim, shower, and late dinner, we head over to her house. I can see from the outside that it's not too large but it's cute and I grin at the fountains in the front lawn.

As we're up to the front door, Ami puts her hand up and presses her ear against the door, listening. I tense and ball up my fists at my sides, studying my surroundings the way Mako taught me. Ami slouches against the door and turns back to me and says "It's okay, it's just Min... Lady Aphrodite. She has a key."

Ami unlocks the door and pushes it open, closing it behind us and leads us in, glancing around the house. "Lady Aphrodite?" She calls out a couple of times before we hear the sound of glass breaking. We run toward the sound into the living area and find the tattered Guardian of Venus sprawled out over the couch with a trash can by the side and a large bottle smashed next to it. "Lady Aphrodite, we have a guest. This is Princess Hotaru of Saturn," she says, glancing sideways at me.

Lady Aphrodite sits up cautiously and squints at me with one eye closed. I give her the Guardian Salute and she groans, hiccups once, and falls unceremoniously back onto the couch with a snore.


	4. 4: Earth Generals- Kunzite & Zoisite

I look down at the famed Lady Aphrodite and grin at her disheveled state. Her blonde hair is pulled up and has strings of jewels wrapped up in it and, even in sleep with her mouth hanging open, I can tell that the legends of her beauty are true. The glass from the broken bottle on the floor is mixed with the remnants of whatever sickly sweet liquid was inside it. I smile again and look up at Ami and notice that she is upset. I imagine it's because of the mess but the dark wood flooring seems okay despite the accident.

"I keep telling her," Ami starts before sighing and brushing Lady Aphrodite's bangs away from her eyes. She gingerly checks Aphrodite's sleeping body and groans when she lifts one of her arms to find a gash running up the side of her hand creeping up her forearm. "Hotaru, could you fetch the first aid kit from the kitchen? It's in the cabinet above the sink."

"Allow me?" I ask, reaching for the bloodied hand and realizing that she does not yet know of my abilities. I kneel down carefully in a dry spot and look over the wound, aware of Ami's gaze. Luckily, it doesn't seem too deep or long although I can't help but wonder what happened. Did the bottle break and she fell onto a shard when we came into the house? Did she fall on the way here? I forget my theories to concentrate on healing her, closely hovering my hand above her skin. I watch as the cut stitches itself back together, rises up in a pink scar, and fades away. Satisfied with myself, I turn back to look at Ami's bewildered face. "It's all healed now. We just need to clean the blood off and then it's like it never happened."

I stand up and mindlessly brush off my knees just in case to find Ami staring at me with eyes wide. I really hope I didn't put her into shock. "I… I didn't know you could do that," she stutters.

"I don't really bring it up too much, but it comes in handy. My mother and sister can do it as well, although on a smaller scale."

"It must be hereditary… that's fascinating!" Ami's eyes are large in her slight face.

"You've never met anyone else with a gift?" I realize as I say it that I'm not sure if 'gift' is the right word. She shakes her head wordlessly before slowly standing up. We head to the kitchen to get supplies to clean the blood and mess up in comfortable silence, although Ami still has a look of sadness when she looks at Lady Aphrodite's sleeping face.

Ami brings out a blanket to place over Aphrodite and we carefully remove the strings of jewels from her hair, letting the long locks fall into a silky pile near her head. Ami leads me to one of her guest bedrooms and shows me where the amenities are and leaves me for her room. I get ready at a sluggish pace, suddenly feeling the weight of the day and fall into bed.

I wake up the next day and shower quickly before pulling on yesterday's pants, tucking my necklace into my clean blouse. I quietly pad out of the room unsure if Ami or Lady Aphrodite is awake but find them both up and chatting in the kitchen. Ami is standing near the stove cooking something that smells delicious with her back turned to Aphrodite who is sitting at a barstool at the counter looking almost exactly how we left her last night. She has her elbow propped up on the counter and her head in her hand and I can see now how long her hair is. I'm glad we took out the jewels last night because that would've probably left her with a headache. I clear my throat to announce my presence and Ami turns around and smiles at me happily.

"Lady Aphrodite, this is Princess Hotaru of Saturn. You met last night but you probably don't remember." Ami chuckles before turning back around and flipping the pancake she's cooking on the stove.

Aphrodite stands up with a warm smile that's as bright as the sun and says "I sort of remember. I'm so sorry about last night. The parties are sometimes too wild for me. " I give her the Guardian Salute once more and she smiles even wider before pulling me into a hug. Her hair tickles my nose and she kisses me on both cheeks before letting go of me. As she slides back into her seat to eat her pancake, she makes a noise that sounds like a squeak and turns to look at me with her fork in midair and says "And please, my name is Minako!"

After we clean up from breakfast, Minako heads toward one of the other guests rooms to take a shower and I glance back in time to see her peeling off clothes as she walks down the hall. I blush, surprised, and quickly focus more on my conversation with Ami who seems unfazed. After a little while, I hear Minako call out from the room. "Ami, what do you have that I can wear?"

Ami turns to me with a hesitant look on her face and tells me "This is always an adventure." We head toward Ami's closet to look at clothes and Minako joins us wearing nothing but her hair up in a towel. I quickly avert my eyes and suddenly I want to bury myself in the clothes hanging up. I can feel my face get hot. My mother had always skipped around when it came to the Venusian people and their open attitudes regarding their bodies and sex, but I had heard enough rumors. I also knew that the people of Venus were constantly in between parties and that the role of the Guardian was passed down within the same family for as long as anyone can remember. I try to look anywhere but towards Mina but I can see out of the corner of my eye that she has her hands on her hips and is looking right at me.

"You're not shy are you, Hotaru?" She teases.

"Oh stop, Mina. She's our guest. Here, how about this dress?" Ami suggests. I feel thankful for her and touch my face to make sure it hasn't actually lit itself on fire. It feels like it might.

We head back to the living area, leaving Minako to find something to wear. She comes out after a dubiously short amount of time wearing just a miniskirt and a bra and throws her hands up. "I couldn't find anything! I swear, Ami, all of your clothes might as well be trash bags for how flattering they are to the female body." She goes into the bathroom and comes back out with a comb, carefully running it through her hair. "Do you think Kunzite will like my outfit?"

Ami chuckles. "I'm sure he would never say, even if he did. He and Zoisite are not as used to you as I am, you know."

The names ring a bell and I try to place them. "Kunzite and Zoisite?" I ask.

With a small noise of assent, Ami responds, "Yes, they're the ones who are coming over later. They're the Generals to the Earth Prince, Endymion."

"Yes, and Ami has a thing for Zoisite," Minako says noncommittally. I hadn't realized that Ami had interests in anyone, let alone someone from another planet.

I turn to look at Ami and see she's blushing. "It's not like that," she says, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"She is just too scared to tell him, even though I'm positive that he likes her too." I look back at Minako who is still combing her hair, her serene eyes closed.

"I have letters for the both of them from King Jovio. He asked that I pass them along as I see them." I'm glad I brought my satchel with me to this house.

Later that evening, after deciding to change into a skirt, I'm pushed into the cozy living area to relax and listen to the stereo while Ami and Minako finish up putting together some food in the kitchen. I absent-mindedly play with the chain of my necklace and look out the window towards a fountain. Looking at the two letters I brought out for the Generals, I resolve to write to Capricia soon. I close my eyes and think about stone-skipping and the parties that my sister and I always sneaked peeks at, waiting for our mother to come tuck us into bed. My reverie is broken when Ami comes in with the food we made and Minako follows, having put on some makeup and a golden necklace that she wears around her waist.

When the Generals arrive, I'm introduced as the Princess and they bow to me. Even though I'm still early in my training, I'm ready to start being greeted as a Guardian instead. I watch as Minako gives them loud kisses on their cheeks and skips off toward the living area, grabbing a bottle on her way, leaving us to follow in her wake. We eat and drink and talk together in the living area and I realize that these are not new friendships for anyone. Zoisite talks animatedly about new stories of his kingdom on Earth and only Minako can rival him for entertaining and suggestive stories of the people of Venus. Kunzite seems distant and stoic but, when he talks, his words are like fire and I can tell that he absorbs every word spoken. I think about what Minako said about Ami's feeling for Zoisite but I notice that she tries to only watch him speak when he's not looking back at her, and he does the same. I can't tell if they're trying to be aloof or coy but I forget and feel more excited as I hear the boisterous conversation carry on.

Three bottles of wine later, I remember to bring out the letters for Kunzite and Zoisite. I hand them over with a flourish and watch as they open and read their letters. Zoisite chuckles as he reads and even Kunzite smiles and I realize that I'm not sure how long it's been since they've been reunited with Nephrite.

I watch as Minako swallows the last gulp of wine in her glass and puts it down on the table a little too forcefully. She stares at Kunzite until he meets her gaze. "What's the news of the war?" Gone is playful Minako and I perk up, curious. I had heard rumors of war throughout the Solar System but I haven't heard the specifics.

Kunzite glances at Zoisite before placing his own glass down. "It comes and goes in waves. We've been able to quell it with very few lives lost but it's constant and unpredictable."

"The same has been happening on Mars and Neptune, according to generals on those planets," Zoisite adds.

"Do you think those are related to the wars on Earth?" Minako asks solemnly, eyebrows knitted together.

Ami meets my eyes and I can see her apprehension. Suddenly all I want is to complete my training and get officially sworn in as Guardian of Saturn.

"I'm not sure," Kunzite responds. "Princess Hotaru, how far are you in your training?"

The four have turned their eyes on me and I'm glad that the cloudiness I had in my head has dissipated. "I've only trained on Jupiter and now Mercury."

"I see. Could you keep an eye out on the other planets as you train? See what the other Guardians have found out." Kunzite's eyes are steely as they look into mine and I nod. Do I even know what to look out for? His gaze breaks and I see the corner of his mouth quick up. "How old are you, Princess Hotaru?"

"I'm 15 aions."

"You're not too much younger than these three, then. You should be fine." He glances at Minako before picking his glass back up.

"She should still be careful," Minako says pointedly. "The wars are dangerous and there are some people who cannot be trusted."

"I understand, Lady Aphrodite." I feel solemn and anxious, like there's a new fire in me. The fervor of my feelings surprise even me.

We are all quiet as Minako refills her glass under Ami's stare and our silent reveries are interrupted when she wistfully says "Ask for a lighter burden and bigger shudders."

Ami and Zoisite laugh into their glasses of wine, both sputtering a little bit on themselves. Ami indelicately wipes her mouth with the back of her hand. "I think the saying goes 'Ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders'." Zoisite bursts into a louder laugh and lies on his back on the floor. Ami joins him, looking down at his face as he looks up at hers. Her hair falls over her eyes and he reaches up and tucks a piece behind her ear before closing his eyes and folding his arms behind his head with a smile.

Slyly, Minako sticks her tongue out at Ami before deciding to stand up and sway her hips and dance to the songs on the stereo and we all continue to laugh and drink until we're too tired to laugh and drink.

I wake up the next day in my bed in Ami's house, still in yesterday's clothes. I pull my necklace out from my shirt and trace the indentation of the locket on my chest. I hear the others stirring in the living area and head out in time to see Kunzite and Zoisite heading out. We all say our goodbyes and Minako, looking disheveled and beautiful, kisses them both on the cheeks, lingering on Kunzite and holding onto his hand. "Victory, success, prosperity, and good fortune," she speaks softly, carefully looking at both of the Generals. I watch as Zoisite looks at Ami with a smile while Minako speaks, and then they are gone.

I spend the rest of the day at their house talking to Minako and Ami before we part and Ami and I go back to the palace to finish up my training on Mercury. After the last day, I can't imagine what my next training on Venus has in store for me.


	5. Correspondence: Part One

_A/N: Part one of an ongoing side-story of some of the correspondence between Hotaru and her family during her training!_

* * *

><p><strong>Princess Hotaru<strong>

**C/O Lady Galilea**

**Io Castle**

**Jupiter, SS**

Dear Hotaru,

I miss you already! I know you only just left for Jupiter but I'm already bored without you. I went to Enceladus the other day with Papa but he didn't care about the rocks and we didn't even stay that long. My classes are so dull too. Did you have to do all of these princess lessons when you were my age? I've already torn two pairs of tights but they were both accidents. Papa says I need to be more graceful because people are always watching but I don't think anyone inside or outside of the Solar System even cares what my clothes look like. I wish you were here still so that I could keep playing and you could do all the boring stuff! Please write back when you get this!

Love,

Capricia

* * *

><p><strong>Princess Capricia<strong>

**Titan Castle**

**Saturn, SS**

Dearest Capricia,

I miss you too! I'm sorry it took me a little bit to respond to your letter but I've been so busy with this training. Lady Galilea is much stricter when you're not just there for fun. She's been teaching me how to fight in hand to hand combat so I can take on anyone. Well, anyone who is not a very good fighter. I probably couldn't even take on a fly right now but I've only just started. Do you remember when we came to Ganymede a couple of aions ago and you almost fell into that one lake and Mama yanked your arm to keep you from falling in? I went by that lake again and I remembered that but the lake is not as pretty as I remember it. There's hardly any reason to get as close to the water as you did! And yes, I did have to do those boring classes when I was your age. You're just lucky that you have an older sister to help you if you need it! And now I'm learning all kinds of new stuff that I'll pass on to you whenever I get back and officially start my duties. I wish you were here!

All my love,

Hotaru

* * *

><p><strong>Princess Hotaru<strong>

**C/O Lady Galilea**

**Io Castle**

**Jupiter, SS**

Hotaru,

How are you, my dearest? I hope your training is going along well so far and that you're not spending too much time goofing off with Makoto. Please send her and King Jovio my warmest regards. Things here have been quiet for the most part. The only exception is your sister but I'm sure you already knew that. Every day brings a new mourner to pay their respects to your mother. I'm sure she would be as proud of you now as I am. There has been increased security in the castle since your mother's death so we're staying safe. I hope you are too. I miss and love you, my daughter.

With love,

Your papa

_From the desk of King Christiaan of Saturn, Titan Castle._


End file.
